Monday, July 27, 2009

an eco chic bridal shoot with utterly engaged

okay people!  i hope you are ready for this!!!  i have been DYING to blog this photo shoot for months and now that the utterly engaged issue 002 has launched, the time has finally come!  this post will be longer than usual but blame it on stephanie williams for being a photo genius and making it impossible to choose which pics to post!

when the girls of dlsh design contacted me about taking part in an eco-chic photo shoot for the second issue of their online magazine, utterly engaged, i knew it was going to be special...i feel so blessed that i was given the chance to work with such amazingly talented girls who are SO out-of-this world good at their crafts!

the theme for the shoot was "eco-chic"...designing in a sustainable way that is easy on the wallet and easy on the environment without sacrificing style...it IS doable people!  just see for yourselves...





bouquet of yellow ranunculas, buttery lisianthus and cream colored tulips...


sweet little boutonnieres to coordinate with the bouquets i made...


melody from sweet and saucy created this beautiful cake with a homespun feel...going with a buttercream frosting is always less expensive than fondant...and doesn't it still look so elegant?



for the tablescape, i collected vintage vases and milkglass at local thrift stores to be sustainable (and budget-friendly), trying to re-use as much as possible...i then filled them with varying shades of yellow ranunculas, lisianthus, tulips and astilbe...buying flowers as local and domestic as possible helps lessen the gas and emmissions used in transporting the flowers from where they are grown...also, by arranging flowers in vases with only water, it reduces the need for floral foam, which is not bio-degradable and takes forever to break down in landfills...



by incorporating the cake, desserts and sparkling lemonade bottles into the actual tablescape, it lessens the amount of floral needed, saving on costs (and waste)...






although i rented the bistro chairs, china and napkins, i decided to go a different route with the linens...i popped into a salvation army and found some great ivory sheets for $1.00 each!  one even had an adorable eyelet lace border which looked really great from this angle...

how killer would it be to drape all of your tables in vintage floral sheets, making each tablescape slightly different from the next but still keeping with an overall consistent color scheme and feel?  i would LOVE for one of my brides to allow me to do this for her wedding!






having a light brunch or dessert reception in the late morning or early afternoon could help save on costs since you won't have to serve a formal, sit down meal, your alcohol bill winds up being lower since guests won't drink as heavily and you don't need to bring in any specialty lighting (this helps save energy too!)...



printing your invites and stationary on recycled paper earns major brownie points for being "green"!
 



the insanely gorgeous dresses each had their own unique character!  not only were they stunning but i was blown away that both designers use all organic and sustainable materials to create their dresses...note to all:  an eco-friendly dress does not mean it has to look or feel like a potato sack!  here is the proof!




definitely one of my favorite bouquets to date...i made this up entirely of balsa wood flowers (which never die and can be re-used) and simple, inexpensive dusty miller foliage...i wrapped the stems in off white satin and overlaid it with some lace leftover from a past bride's wedding dress alteration scraps...way to recycle right?! :)





lastly, a bouquet of blush parrot tulips and dreamy ivory astilbe...





and now a HUGE thanks to the girls behind it all!  :)

publication:  utterly engaged
floral design, bouquets and tablescape styling:  JL DESIGNS
photography:  stephanie williams
cake and desserts:  sweet and saucy
printing and stationary:  dlsh design
bistro chairs and china:  classic party rentals
dress designers:  sarah seven from etsy and morgan baszilkov of natural bridals
hair:  robin lamph
makeup:  devon duff

the pleasure was ALL mine!!!  :)

18 comments:

Leila Khalil |Wedding Publicist| Be Inspired PR said...

i have professed my love of this shoot to you and Stephanie already but really? i mean how do you top this? can i just have dessert there and have a glass of bubbly while i read book and relax?

Petal by Petal said...

The tablescape is just so beautiful! Love the milkglass and the cake plates and of course all the goodies from "my sweet and saucy"... So scrumptious with your flowers! It's the natural look that I love!

You really had a great collection of talent. The invites are so pretty and the head pieces and photos are great too. But that you picked up linens from the Salvation army was the best! All in all just a wonderful shoot.

April Boyer Modern Handmade said...

I saw this in utterly engaged and I absolutely love it! I too wish that I could enjoy a wonderful meal with friends at this beautiful table, and of course all the dessert as well. What a lovely, simple idea for a wedding. Great job!

Jen said...

I love seeing more and more photos from this shoot. I agree with Leila - I want to go to this wedding party! Beautiful work everyone!!

Braedon said...

Are you kidding with how great this post is. I love every shot. I know who to call for my next editorial shoot!

absolutely charmed said...

Oh my god this wedding shoot is just too cute! I absolutely love the feel that the photographer portrayed and the flowers, desserts and styling of the girls and tablescapes really bring out the mood of a simple yet chic wilderness wedding. Kuddos!

My Sweet & Saucy said...

Your seriously outdid yourself with this one Carissa! I always am so inspired by your work!

Amanda~Weekend Host said...

Simply stunning work. You must be extremely proud of the result - I know I certainly would be if I had create this beautiful setting. Congratulations!

jomygoodness said...

i'm absolutely loving it too! fantastic work, carissa & everyone else! mucho kudos to you!

Lollipop Events & Designs said...

WOW!!! I can't wait to post this!! Gorgeous!! What a team!

Sterling Engagements said...

The entire shoot was completely amazing but I absolutely adore the bouquets and boutonnières! Stunning!

Sandy said...

WOW is right! I am loving this table-setting with all the milk glass and colored vases & cake plates, but the bouquets are just as gorgeous! I'm very curious about the balsa wood flowers. Wondering where they come from.
The sheets for the table made me happy because I have used sheets more than once as tablecloths and nobody ever even realizes it.

Randy said...

I really love the feel for all of these pictures! The colors work so well together. Great job!

Janet said...

I am in love with that little ranunculus and tulip bouquet! It is just sweet perfection!

sandra pan said...

can i have that dress on the bottom left and the body...wow! love this!

justhappilyeverafter said...

Just blogged about this beautiful photoshoot. Keep up the great work!

Megan said...

Beautiful work, I love overall feel of this shoot and the look of the flowers. I had never heard of balsa wood flowers before, what a great idea! I just posted about them over on my blog, hope you'll check it out!!

Sweet Pea Floral Design said...

Love this wedding!! Well done. I will give you my first born child if you tell me where to get a balsa wood flower!! holly.woelfel@gmail.com
Thanks!!